In front of a small but faithful crowd, and with a backdrop of leather against willow, Combe’s last home game of a disappointing season was, well, another disappointment. Combe were well beaten by a Southend side, who were not always completely superior in every respect, but made and took their chances at first with some ease, and at the end at will. The first half was reasonably competitive, but after the turn round the visitors realised it was time to fill their boots. The score board was kept busy.
Perversely, it was Combe who took the lead with an early score from a turnover midfield, second phase, moved right, and an exaggerated zigzag run for Boto to score. Try converted by Audis, 7-0. Southend hit back immediately with a score under the posts, converted, 7-7. Combe pressed the visitors line, but a poor pass was intercepted, and Southend ran the ball the length of the field only to be denied by Maybank tackling back. Southend got the push on in the scrum that followed, moved it left for a second try and conversion. 7-14. Combe enjoyed a bit of possession and position but were finding it impossible to get over the gain line. The visitors camped on the Combe line, and after desperate defence, penalties, and scrums the Southend winger was worked in for a score on the left. Converted, 7-21, half an hour gone. Maybank had a run down the left and was almost in the clear but stopped by a high tackle. The miscreant was yellow carded, but Combe could not turn the resultant penalty or advantage in numbers into points. The half petered out with a couple of runs by Boto and Chance, but these came to nothing. Combe had a bit of control upfront, but had reduced options at the lineout, where they missed Inches and Thorpe. The breakdown battle was becoming a struggle.
Combe started the second half on the attack, but Southend won a turnover, and ran the length of the field to score. Conversion missed, 7-26. Less than ten minutes later, another long range effort, try converted, 7-33. Then one under the posts, converted, 7-40. The last ten minutes saw four more tries: one a clean run through to the line from a lineout, the next through many hands for a score in the left corner, then a clean run through for the centre, and the last the third for Ellis to complete his hat trick.
The crowd was dwindling. Combe were down and out, all the substitutes on, and nothing left. They had put themselves under pressure with poor passing and options, and poor tackling compounded the misery. At the end they were not equal to the task, and Southend were peerless in their execution, with their midfield in particular enjoying a field day. Final score 7-64.

This may or may not have been the last game of the season. Next week is scheduled the away fixture at Ealing, but watch the web site and check for details in case there are any late changes.

Westcombe Park XV: Harvey; Maybank, Purdy, Davies, Boto; Audis, Southcombe; Green, Brooks, Kavanagh, Chance, Clark, Abbott, Sole, Hayman.
Substitutes used: Threlfell, Watkins, Catlin, Weald, Pace.

Match reporter: Bruce Mackenzie.